Page 62 - Cityview_May_June_2014

WELLnESS SPOTLIGHT

by oana Harrison

SUMMER FRESH,

FARM FRESH

B
right and sweet ery in Norris. Ross and her husband, coverage and fresh food year-round, no

cherries, colorful berries, savory Paul Baxter, an agriculture professor matter how small or large your prop-
herbs, aromatic lilies, a gentle now teaching at Pellissippi State Com- erty may be.

breeze—and you know sum- munity College, have traveled and lived Ross and Baxter regularly bring fresh
mer in Knoxville is finally just
in several countries around the world— berries along with edible lanscaping

around the corner. With Mother’s Day in as far away as Turkey and Afganistan. plants to farmers’ markets in the area.
May and father’s Day in June, this is the They noticed land in many places is They enjoy educating people on how

time to celebrate with family. And what scarce, and thus precious and mainly to be good stewards of the land, while
better way to do so than by enjoying the used to provide food for families. “We having access to beautiful and healthy

weather and some farm fresh food?
are blessed to have so much land here landscaping. The task of transforming a
With an abundance of family farms by comparison and it’s a shame that we grassy yard into an edible arrangement

around East Tennessee and an active waste it on grass,” says Ross. “We, as a can be daunting—but you don’t have to
farmers’ market scene, you don’t have nation, have an obsession with grass. do it all at once. “You can just sneak up

to look too far to find garden-fresh and We spend our lives riding in circles, on it, a little bit at a time,” says Ross.
healthy fruit, vegetables, flowers, hon- poluting the soil and air with chemicals “Mowing is such a solitary task, while

ey, dairy, and meat. New ideas aren’t far and noise instead of spending precious gardening can involve the entire fam-
away, either, when it comes to farming. time with our kids and families and ily, including the kids.” Although not a

We talked with some of the ingenious enjoying the abundance of sunny days kid anymore, Paul’s son Brian Baxter
growers in the area about how they got that Tennessee has to offer.”
manages the Blueberry hill farm,

started—and what they have to offer.
for their Knoxville residence, Ross which is the “you pick” part of the
and Baxter wanted a yard that didn’t business. The farm offers more than
EAT YOUR YARD!
require mowing, was useful, and was 50 varieties of fresh blueberries from
ngreenbriar nursery and aesthetically pleasing and suited for May through September.

blueberry Hill farm
neighborhood living. That thought
“The sound of summer used to be process planted the seed for their busi- noaks Daylilies farm

birds singing and children playing in ness, greenbriar Nursery. The underly- Did you know that oaks Daylil-
the yard. Now it’s mowers and blow- ing philosophy? “Eat your yard. Don’t ies farm, in Corryton, offers a large

ers. What have we done to ourselves?” mow it!” Their nursery offers edible variety of colorful flowers that not
asks glenda Ross of greenbriar Nurs-
landscaping, which can provide lush
only can brighten your garden but also

60 cityviewmag.com may june 2014